Methodology for the vibration testing of connectors

The author develops an argument that the component level test method and not the subsystem test is the one that is most appropriate for electrical connectors in telecommunications equipment. He reviews some of the principles of mechanical vibration theory. Then, he discusses vibration testing in general, and surveys test requirements and failure criteria for telecommunications equipment and for connectors. He details the dynamic mechanisms which can give rise to connector contact failures. He presents analytical data on the dynamic characteristics of the various elements of an equipment frame and discusses their possible interactions, working from the contact up to the frame. He concludes that each "typical" usage has its own dynamic characteristics, and that considering the many variables involved, no single subsystem level test could possibly be appropriate for the many applications in which a connector may be used. Thus, only a component level test, which tests the reliability of the connector itself, is a viable qualification test tool for a connector manufacturer.<>